Machine for feeding paper to printing-presses



` UNITED sTATEs `PATENT oEEioE. j N

A. B. CHILDS AND W. AEICKINSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING PAPER T0 PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom may concern.' v l Be it known that we, A. B. CHILDS andHENRY vVVyDIoxnasoN, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inPrinting-Press Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists in a certain mode of employing currents of air toraise and discharge sheets of paper from the pile for the purpose offeeding print-ing presses, of which the following is a description, theletters and figures used in said description referring to a drawing ofour machine accompanying this specification.

a is the caseA of a fan blower connected with the central inlet orsuction pipe c and the outletor discharge pipe f. l

The fan b is driven bythe pulley l the shaft of which passes throught-hefan case and through the center ofthe inlet pipe c carrying near its endthe endless screw 2 which takes into the periphery of cog wheel 3 on theshaft 6. On this shaft is a smaller cog wheel 4 which takes into the cogwheel 5. The cog wheel 5 is attached to and carries the suction andblast trunk c, which has a working joint at fw and turns on its axis,which has its bearing in the pillar a. This trunk as represented in thedrawings has a narrow slit extending nearly its whole length on the sidewhich is lowermost in the position shown in the drawings, and this slitis shown in section in Figure 2. Exteriorto this slit and extendingnearly its whole length and attached to trunk c is a smaller `tube o-rtrunk Z which also has a narrow slit below, sho-wnl in section in Fig.2. Vithin trunk c and extending nearly its whole length is a smallertrunk e having a slit e extending nearly its whole length. Just beyondthe end of the slit e is a hole through the trunk c which as the trunkre` volves comes directly opposite the open end of the blast pipe f, andat other times is open to the air, the leak through this hole and alsohole m being of no material consequence. As trunk c revolves hole mwhich opens into the larger cavity or chamber of trunk c is brought intoopposition with the open mouth of blast pipe g.

At the point e2 connected with blast pipe f is a short branch pipe, theopen end of which is expanded into a half collar p which embraces z' andcovers an opening through the same not shown in the drawing. The

12,401, dated February 20, 1855.

trunk i revolves so as to bring the opening opposite the mout-h of thetube e2 at the i proper time. The open ends of blast pipe f and g wherevthey press against theperiphery of the trunk c1 might also be providedwith such collars if necessary to prevent leakage though we have notfound it important.

Within the trunk c at n there is a valve c which turns upon the stem nand at L isa regulating valve opening inward, the pressure beingadjusted bythe regulating weight Having thus described the various partscomposing the'machine we will now proceed to describe their operation.When the fan revolves the air entersthe central trunk c (the valve c2being open) through the slit describedv as in the lowermost part oftrunk c', and escapes from the fan case int-o t-he tube f and thenceinto trunk z' and out from the slit in the same manner as before de`scribed. The currents of air thus produced, viz.7 an inward currentthrough trunk (Z and an outward one through trunk z', conspire to raisethe luppermost sheet fro-m the pile. The sheet adheres to trunk Z overthe slit in the same by outward pressure, and the effect of the outwardblast, from trunk z' is to raise up and separate the whole length of thesheet from the pile. As the trunk c revolves in the direction of thearrow m it carries the sheet still adhering aro-und with it. When thetrunk c has made a half revolution the valve c2 is closed and hole mcovers over the mout-h of pipe g, and the hole connected with trunk e asbefore described comes opposite the mouth of pipe f; the inward draftthro-ugh trunk Z ceases and is succeeded by an outward blast through thesame and also an outward blast issues from trunk e-thus throwing off thesheet onto the press board or table, into its proper posi-- tion to beseized by the lingers of the press.

The force of the blasts from the fan is regulated by the regulatingvalve 71,. The valve e2 is not shown in connection with any gearing andthe motion of the various parts is dependent upon that of 4the fan shaftbut in actual service, the fan must be propelled by an independentconnection with the source of power, and the valve stem together withall the parts connected with the changes and operation of the blastsmust be connected and properly timed with the motions of the printingpress by mechanical means which will be readily suggested by any skilfulmechanic. It is evident by this arrangement that only one sheet can belifted and delivered at a time. The projecting trunk Z is importantinasmuch as it enables us to carry the point or slit to which the sheetis lifted to any desired distance from the center of motion withoutenlarging the trunk 0 and also prevents-the sheet from hugging thesurface of trunk c which it would do if the slot were Within itssurface.

The valve h is not only a regulator of the draft of the fan but when theshut off valve c2 is closed the fan is supplied through valve 7L whichopens inward by the outward pressure, and it therefore acts in the twofold capacity of a regulating and supply valve. It is obvious that theefects of the various blasts might be attained by a vibratory instead ofa rotary motion of the parts.

Ve claim as our inventionl. The raising and delivering theA sheet-s bymeans of the inward and outward ourrents, said currents being producedand operating in one and the Asame trunk through one .and the same slitor openin by means of the fan or its equivalent, trun o, valve c2,revolving trunk c, and pipe g and aperture m; and in combinationtherewith We claim the outward blast produced through the trunk e by themeans set forth.

2. We claim in combination with the inward blast through revolving trunkof for raising the paper, the outward blast through revolving trunk v1for separating the sheets7 as described.

3. We claim the projecting trunk d in combination with the main trunk cin the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4f. We also claim the combination of the regulating and supply valve z,with the shut off valve c2 in the manner and for the two fold purpose asset forth.

In Witness whereof we have hereto set our hands this eighth day of Aprilin the year eighteen hundred and fty four.

A. B. CHILDS. HENRY W. DIC'KINSON.

Witnesses y T. CAMPBELL, E. HARMON.

